Lee Sizers...

[dk17hmr]

Well as probably everyone knows I am new to casting. I have be getting things as needed and after casting 1000 or so with my .452 TL Lee mold and getting them lube I am having troubles with reliable feeding in my 1911. Only thing I could think of its the bullets are casted to big. So I went in search of a cheap sizing/lubing system. Midway has the Lee Sizing dies and lube combo on sale for like $10.

So I got that coming also bought a Lee single Stage press from midway on the way. I didnt really need it but it was only $20 and it took the $3 handle fee away and I can just leave it set up for my sizer and not be in my dads way on the good RCBS press. Also picked up a box of Speer 139 7mm bullets for my grandads 284 which I have taken possession of.

Anyways Lee sizers work good or what the reviews on Midway say they are pretty good for the money.

Dk17

[Leftoverdj]

The Lee sizers are excellent. and the little $20 Lee press is as handy as a shirt pocket. I keep one around for light duty chores such as sizing and priming.

The TL moulds work well most of the time, but I get fat bullets maybe every 50 to 100 casts. My guess is that it is due to an unnoticed speck of debris. I can shuck them through the sizer at the rate of ten a minute or more, so I do so.

The Lee sizer is one of those products that even the Lee haters have to admit is good. It's way better than an in and out lubrisizer for long skinny rifle bullets, and I size those in the Lee and lube them in an oversized die in a lubrisizer.

[6pt-sika]

I bought one of the Lee sizers for .311 from Midway about a month ago for $12. I had ordered some other stuff , so I figured for twelve bucks even if it didn't work out I wasn't out of much . I've not used it yet , but if it works well for me I plan on getting Lee to make me a .360 , .380, .432 and .460 . [smilie=1:

[StarMetal]

The one and only Lee sizer that I've tried is .329 for the 8x56R bullet. It sized the bullet just fine, but I found that mine didn't put the gascheck on good if I sized nose first like the die is intended to work.

Buckshot and I talked in lenght about my Lyman 450 luber/sizer and I have absolutely no problems sizing long skinny bullets. He and decided I must have the best one they ever made.

Personally myself I would never give up my luber/sizer and would even think about quit shooting cast bullets without one.

Just my two cents.

Joe

[Slowpoke]

Well as probably everyone knows I am new to casting. I have be getting things as needed and after casting 1000 or so with my .452 TL Lee mold and getting them lube I am having troubles with reliable feeding in my 1911. Only thing I could think of its the bullets are casted to big. So I went in search of a cheap sizing/lubing system. Midway has the Lee Sizing dies and lube combo on sale for like $10.

So I got that coming also bought a Lee single Stage press from midway on the way. I didnt really need it but it was only $20 and it took the $3 handle fee away and I can just leave it set up for my sizer and not be in my dads way on the good RCBS press. Also picked up a box of Speer 139 7mm bullets for my grandads 284 which I have taken possession of.

Anyways Lee sizers work good or what the reviews on Midway say they are pretty good for the money.

Dk17

If you will get a Lee factory crimp die for the 45 acp, it will do your bullet sizing for you when you go to crimp your rounds, The Lee factory crimp pistol dies and tumble lube bullets were made for ea other.

If your OAL is correct, when the round comes out of the die it will chamber.

I like the Lee nose first sizers as well, I believe I have 18 as of today and a few special purpose ones made by Buckshot.

Good luck

[Four Fingers of Death]

I have a Lyman 450 and an RCBS Lubesizer. Mind you, I cast mostly pistol boolits, but I haven't used the lubesizers since getting the Lee sizers. When I cast (which is not so frequently lately) I tumble lube and try them, if this works, I leave it at that. If I have to I Lee size. Handled all of my problems lately. I will have to dust them off and have another go, but after the Lees they seem to be making a hard job out of an easy one.

[charger 1]

If you will get a Lee factory crimp die for the 45 acp, it will do your bullet sizing for you when you go to crimp your rounds, The Lee factory crimp pistol dies and tumble lube bullets were made for ea other.

If your OAL is correct, when the round comes out of the die it will chamber.

I like the Lee nose first sizers as well, I believe I have 18 as of today and a few special purpose ones made by Buckshot.

Good luck

I guess I started another post without seeing this one,but if you ask me theres a pile of plus's for the lee. First the whole forward feeding thing. I dont think it hurts to be following the cannelure as opposed to the a$$ end for sizing,I think thats what the gun will end up doing. Secondly you can slug your bore,buy the sizer thats .001 smaller,stick it in the lathe or drill press and with some emery on a dowel come out with whatever custom size ya want. Like I said in the other post,I've been finding that to size frontally on the lee then to just lube on the lubrisizer is offering me way more accuracy than the ol backwards size

[ben1025]

I found out quite a while ago the method works for me best is to lube with the largest H&I die for the caliber and then size with a Lee. As far as gas checks I don't have a problem with the Lee. If I do I just seat the gas check
in the H&I die. ben1025

[ben1025]

Of course the Lee sizer would be great for someone starting out and not wanting to buy a lubrisizer and dies. There is nothing wrong with pan lubing. ben1025

[Maineboy]

I don't own a lubrisizer, just use Lee sizers. They're cheap, easily honed out to get the perfect size for your needs, and fast to use. I find they seat gas checks nicely. Tumble lubing works well for me as I rarely push anything over 1800 fps. Years ago I did have a Lyman 45, but I sold it. I guess I'm the opposite of Starmetal. If there were only lubrisizers, I'd think about not shooting cast boolits! The only problem I've had is that one sizer I bought marked .309 was really sizing them a bit over .307. A quick honing job took care of that problem.

[redneckdan]

First, take yer mold, close it and hold it up to the light and see if you see light coming through where the mold haves touch. Should not see any. Mic yer boolits and see where they are at. Take 3-4 measurements around the circumfrence to see if it is out of round. My first TL .45 mold was dropping them at .461 I sent it to lee and they dropped at .453 unfortunately, an ****** from the range made off with that mold.

[StarMetal]

Just like Will Mundy (Clint Eastwood) said in the movie The Unforgiven after killing all those fellows in that saloon "I've always been lucky when it come to killin folks", I guess I've always been lucky when it come to my Lyman 450 luber/sizer and the dies I've bought for it. One of the first reloading tools I ever procured was a micrometer, so I mike everything! So of course if Lyman or RCBS says the sizer die is such and such size I mike the bullets after sizing to see. Like I've said I've been lucky. I've also been lucky that my Lyman sizes straight. I've been lucky that my Lyman linkage hasn't even bent or broken. Ask Buckshot about me sizing 338 jacketed Hornadays down to .331 for my Steyr M95 carbine. So it's been used and I guess abused. So if I have a luber sizer that sizes my bullets where I want them, lubes them, sizes them straight, and they shoot more then just very good, why would I go to a slow and messier method like the Lee. Wanta know my honest opinion...going to tell you anyways [smilie=l: I think alot of users buy them because they are cheap. You fellow can tell my Sako 7mm-08 carbine that it would shoot more accurately with bullets sized with a Lee....I don't think so.

Joe

[redneckdan]

I broke my dads RCBS lube sizer one night while running .358 158gr KT SWC cast in linotype.[smilie=1: A quick visit to the garage and the MIG welded fixed 'er up. I still gotta make a new linkage, got the D-2 but no machine time yet.:roll:

[motorcycle_dan]

dk17, I've got plenty of experience reloading and casting for a 1911 pistol. I found they work great once you sort the bugs out. First and foremost check everything. Don't just base your opinion on one thing. Seating depth is important but no less important than powder charge or the taper crimp. One of the most valuable tools you can have is a case gage (gauge) I have a dillon type because they sell them for about $10 at my local gun shop. What it basically does is act as a no go gage for reloaded cartridges. If they are to tight to fall to the bottom of the gage, you are likely to have feed and function problems. I now make that my last stage of reloading inspection. 100% get dropped into the gage. I've yet to have a malfunciton since doing this. There are many critical steps when reloading for an auto loader pistol.

If you are having feed problems try to duplicate it. Exactly what is it doing? Getting crooked as it strips the round off the magazine? Is it allways the last or first round in a mag. Is it the same magazine all the time. (number your mags)
While shooting stop half way through a magazine and safely unload. Inspect the round that was in the chamber and the round in the top of the magazine in fine detail. Were there marks on the bullet from slide action. Did it scuff the nose of the bullet on the feed ramp.

Some recent problems I ran into was dealing with bulged cases near the base. A-MERC cases and to a small degree some CCI brass had issues with the rear 1/3 of the case bulging. I have to assume this was done during bullet seating and or taper crip operation. My 1911 is a little more forgiving in this area. The Springfield XD is not. So all this said means little more than what others have already added. Just don't lock into one train of though. Keep an open mind to other possible causes.

[StarMetal]

motorcycle dan,

The case gauges are nice to have, especially if you're reloading for a bunch of different pistols in the same caliber, that is like for alot of fellow shooters. BUT if you're loading for yourself there is no better case gauge yanking the barrel out of your 1911 and using it after all that is were the cartridge is going to end up.

Having to have a taper crimp is a fallacy. I light roll crimp will work just as well. Please don't bring up that a 45acp headspaces on the case mouth and shouldn't be rolled crimped. If' you have the experience you mentioned you'll know all about that.

The bullet nose is suppose to hit the feed ramp and bounce up and into the chamber.

I suggest if you haven't done it already, to pick up a copy of The Colt .45 Automatic by Jerry Kuhnhausen.

Alot of your information is good, but some of it is alittle off in my book. I think the OAL (or bullet seating dept) is one THE most important things and not the only one.

Joe

[Bucks Owin]

The Lee sizers are excellent. and the little $20 Lee press is as handy as a shirt pocket. I keep one around for light duty chores such as sizing and priming.


They ARE handy aren't they?

I have a varmint shooting pal that takes one mounted on a sturdy wooden box along on ground squirrel shoots. The box holds the reloading components...

Slick rig!

Dennis

[guninhand]

As regards Lee sizers, I have had poor results sizing with gas checks as the push piece that goes in the press ram was smaller in diameter that the 45 cal gas check.

Ths gave an unsightly, often un-symetrical, indent on the bttom of the gas check. I solved problem by putting 45 cal lead bullet upside down between the push thing and the gas check + bullet being sized.

That way the force pushing on the gas check covers the whole bottom of the gas check.

[Leftoverdj]

Gun, call Lee for another pedestal. Somehow you got the wrong one. All my pedestals are a loose slide fit through the sizer. The .410 was handy for me to mic, and it measures .406.

[dk17hmr]

Well I got home tonight from college (next week are finals at last) and my new press and my sizer was waiting for me. Being late and everyone was in bed already or asleep on the couch I havent mounted my press to my casting bench. I just used the RCBS we have down in the reloading room. I sized all of the bullets I have casted and lubed, around 750 of them.

I have tomorrow off and plan on shooting my 1903 SpringField and I will load some of my .452 sized cast bullets to see if that was the solution to the feeding problem, I am almost 100% sure it is.

For $10 I can see a few more of these sizers to come once I get more molds. It was fast and easy to get what I needed done.

Next thing if they shoot I need to get into some IDPA matches! Heres a pic of my 45, I just got it I dont even have 500 rounds through it yet. I bought it used from a LEO so there is holster wear because he carried it as a duty weapon. Its a Springfield with a alloy frame so it is lighter then average 1911's, its tricked out a little with full lenght guide rod, novak night sights, extended beaver tail, front of the slide is cut for grip, ami saftey, mag well, houge grips, and 3 hole CM trigger that has a pull weight of around 3.5 pounds. I also replaced the rip screws with Stainless Steal screws.
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f208/dk17hmr/DSCF0018.jpg

DK

[eljefe]

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h171/mikehorst/IMG_0165.jpg
I shot my first cast bullets from my springer this evening. I cast the lyman 452460
bullets, and sized them to 452 in a lee sizer die, with Lee liquid alox. I seated them and then ran them through a lee factory crimp die, with moderate crimp.
They all went bang, and grouped fairly well. I had no feeding problems, and no visible leading. I checked them all by removing my barrel from the pistol, using it as a case gage, and only had one that did not fit.
My load was 3.9 grains of red dot, which ain't the cleanest powder, but I have lots of it. I want to try using my lubrisizer on the next batch, but need the 460 top punch and 452 die. By the way, these bullets dropped from the mold at .454
cast from wheel weights. My next project will be shooting this bullet out of a 45 colt R&D conversion cylinder for my 58 remington.